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“No. Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know—maybe because you ran in here like your ass was on fire?” She patted Sam’s good shoulder and walked over to Mike. “Everything okay?”
“I just wanted to get out of the sun. I didn’t put sunscreen on this morning.” It was a feeble excuse.
“You poor fragile flower.” She headed toward the kitchen, talking over her shoulder. “There’s plenty of sunscreen in the upstairs medicine cabinet. Help yourself.”
Instead of going upstairs, he sat in the living room with his brother-in-law, who was still pretty woozy from pain meds. Mike wondered if this party was really such a great idea, considering the man of honor was ready to nod off. But Sam brightened when his youngest, Gavin, toddled into the room, Hazel not far behind him.
She looked frazzled, searching the room with her eyes.
“Have you seen Nathan? I swear that kid can run right through walls and disappear on me.” Nathan was the terror of the three kids. The four-year-old had been on the run from the time he was born, always looking to turn things upside down and dance on the wreckage.
Sam rolled his eyes. “Leave Gavin here with Uncle Mike and go find him before he builds a castle in the dining room out of the dining chairs.” He looked at Mike. “He did that last week, then climbed the chairs with the intention of swinging on the chandelier like he’d seen some dude do in a cartoon. I can’t decide if he’s going to be president someday or run a crime syndicate.”
Mike took the two-year-old from Hazel and couldn’t help returning the child’s bright, drooling grin. Gavin was the mellowest of the three. He seemed genuinely happy wherever he was and with whomever happened to be there. Maybe it was because he was born on St. Patrick’s Day.
“Well,” Mike said, “at least you’ve got a lawyer in the family if he decides to go the criminal route, but I think he’s too smart for that. That kid’s brain is always spinning.”
Mike bounced his knee and Gavin giggled. He didn’t know why he’d been so hesitant to have kids with Becca. Why he’d kept her from having the family she’d wanted when she wanted it—never imagining they’d run out of time. Fear had been part of it—doubt about his ability to be a good father.
Now here he was, at forty, falling for a single mom. He made a funny face at Gavin. Becca would have loved the thought of him finally being a father figure to someone. She’d never doubted his ability to love a child. She’d believed in him, even when he couldn’t believe in himself.
But didZoeybelieve he could do it? Was that one of the reasons she was determined to keep them a big, dark secret? Call him sensitive, but her insistence on keeping him apart from her life with Hazel was like a small burr under a saddle. It wore on him. Poked at him.
His grandmother appeared at his side, blowing kisses at Gavin while patting Mike’s shoulder. “Food will be ready in twenty minutes, so someone better start grilling some meat. I think Finn fired up the grills already, but right now he’s guzzling beer at the table with Zoey and Owen. Bridget is putting Moira down for a nap. Can you take charge out there?”
“Sure, Nana.” He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t tell her that without sayingwhy.Because thewhywas drinking wine at the outside table, right next to the grill. “But I’ve got this little guy...”
He knew that excuse wouldn’t fly. Nana lifted the boy with an exaggerated groan. “My God, child! You’re growing like a weed.”
Mike stood, giving himself a mental pep talk. He could do this. He could be Zoey’s buddy for the afternoon. Just pals. And maybe later they could pay a visit to the repair shop...and that sturdy old office desk.
The problem was, he was beginning to wantmorethan stolen moments.Morethan being friends with benefits. He wantedallof Zoey. And she’d made it clear that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
CHAPTER TWENTY
ZOEYWASONEDGE. And that sucked, because Mary’s house was usually one of her favorite places to be. Her friend had an effortless style—which Mary insisted should be calledexhaustion—when it came to entertaining. She treated everyone like family, and she figured family should be very forgiving of toys on the floor and a little dust on the shelves. And if theycouldn’tdeal with that, they were welcome to leave. McKinnons were like that. Love me or go. Your choice.
Like the way Mike had left as soon as she’d stepped outside. As well as she knew him, she hadn’t been able to read the emotions skipping across his face when their eyes met. A quick smile. A frown. A wrinkled forehead. Then up on his feet and gone.
Yes, she’d been extra firm about them not doing anything obvious to give their new relationship away with so many people around. But she never meant they should treat each other like strangers. She smoothed her hands down the yellow dress. Was it the dress that had thrown him off?
She didn’t wear them often, but it wasn’t like it had never happened before. Her legs were currently twisted around the legs of the patio chair like she was sitting on a barstool in jeans and boots, and she moved to cross them in a more ladylike manner. Vickie had always taught her to cross at the ankles, not the knees, and even better, do the royal “princess slant” with legs together but not crossed, knees leaning to one side.
Her godmother, sitting inside right now, would be thrilled to know Zoey remembered those etiquette lessons. She didn’t know why she’d opted for a dress today. Maybe she was getting bored with jeans and T-shirts. Or she might be trying to show Mike she could have some style when she wanted to. Zoey had no intention of breaking their secret anytime soon, butsomeday, when Hazel was older and life had settled a bit, she hoped she and Mike could be an actual, normal,publiccouple.
Mike was a respected attorney from a prominent local family. His parents were involved in some powerful political circles in Albany. His first wife had been beautiful and sophisticated. Becca hadn’t been a snob or anything—she was kind and generous with everyone she met. She’d worked in real estate, and, like Vickie, had always worn the latest styles. She’d set the bar very,veryhigh for whoever came after her in Mike’s life.
Zoey didn’t know when theirsomedaywould be, and she knew the wait was chafing at Mike. It was becoming more and more difficult for her, too. Because she was very sure she was falling in love with him.
She’d never intended for it to happen, but she had movedw-a-ybeyond the friend zone with Mike in her heart. She couldn’t imagine ever going back to being just friends. She didn’t even want to try.
Finn was telling a story about the baby Moira’s knack for waking up hungry every time he and Bridget were trying to have some fun in the sheets. Zoey drained her wineglass in one gulp, wishing it was whiskey. Maybe it reallywasthis dress making her feel so weird today. It wasn’t like her to worry about what Mike thought of her appearance. He’d told her multiple times he thought she was beautiful, but she couldn’t help thinking that eventually he’d want a woman more like Becca to settle down with after having some fun with his good pal Zoey.
She blinked a few times, shocked to realize her eyes were watery. She stood, mumbling something about finding her sunglasses, before heading inside. She met Mike in the doorway, carrying a platter stacked with hot dogs.
His steady brown eyes calmed her instantly—how did he do that? She started to reach for his hand before remembering where they were. He caught her fingertips, giving them a quick squeeze before releasing her.
